Desser was carried out of the carriage by Senior Knight Alfonse Follin. Everyone had arrived to prepare the barren grassy area to set up camp. The sun was just beginning to rise as many maids as possible, and the knights ran around to get the prince under a tent before sunrise.
The tent was made of thick, high-quality fabric. It was all black with 3 golden griffin emblems around it. Inside there were all the necessities. The tent was large enough to fit a fire pit in the center with a bed at one corner and a table next to the bed. There were several seats opposite the bed.
Alfonse placed Desser on his bed and left. Desser called out to Sonia, and she came running to his side.
"What are your orders, your highness?" Sonia asked.
"Have the knights stand guard, but I don't want them distracting me. Keep them far away that I can't see them. Also, make sure you and Desser stay by my side. I might need medical assistance if something goes wrong." Desser was being precautious. Even though he was safe with the knights around, he felt more secure with Sonia and Cornelius closer by.
Sonia went to prepare the training ground with a mat and back support to help keep Desser upright.
Cornelius yelled to whoever was outside the tent, "where are the knights? Whoever is standing watch, enter immediately! There should always be one here while the prince needs assistance in moving!" Cornelius huffed in annoyance. He felt that his prince and future prophet were being ignored by those tasked with his protection. He thought the knights had become too lax because the prince would not move, so they would laze around without attending to his needs.
Apprentice Knight Vince Follin ran inside, "reporting to Prince Mogar and Magi Cornelius. I was left to keep watch and report to the superiors when you need anything!"
Desser looked at Vince and thought, 'they make the rookie work the hardest? Also, seems they wanted to look good by being the first to help be while neglecting their duties.'
Desser said to Cornelius, "enough. I'm fine with Vince aiding me. Out of all the knights, he seems the most competent."
Cornelius was frustrated, not at Desser's comment but at the kingdom's negligence. He would have to report this matter to the king as well. Desser responded, "as you wish, my prince. Shall we head to the training ground now? I'm sure your personal maid is done by now."
"Yes. Vince, are you able to carry me?" Desser asked skeptically. Vince seemed much younger and weaker than his peers.
"Of course! Anything for our crown prince!"
Vince lifted Desser like he was paper. Desser thought to himself that he needed to gain muscle mass. It was time for him to focus on his physical health while focusing on his magic training. He felt that both were necessary for the greatest success. After all, if the backlash from cultivating rings was so devastating, then having a healthy and strong body would give him a fighting chance.
Vince put him on the luxuriously comfortable mat as Sonia hung a canopy to hide Desser from the sun.
Desser asked Vince, "when will the knights arrive?"
Vince smiled and replied, "they are already in position. They are hiding as instructed, my prince."
Desser knew he said to hide but was impressed at how fast and efficient they were. Only moments passed, and his orders were executed flawlessly. However, Magi Cornelius had a hand in telepathically relaying Desser's orders as they were given.
"Okay, you may join them, Vince." In hearing Desser speak, Vince hastily did as he was told.
Sonia pushed the backrest closer to him so it'd help keep him up. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Desser wasn't sure what he was doing or the right way to approach the Arch-Magi's cultivation, but he tried was felt right to him. Was cultivation like meditating? How does one 'join Anthul'?
Desser's mind began to drift as he got lost in thought:
'In movies, anime, and manga, cultivation seemed so simple. However, there is no clear way to connect with this world. I'm an outsider in the body of the deceased. Even if this body is from this world, it should've decomposed and returned to Anthul. So, I am a virus suspending the laws of nature in Anthul. I am stopping the cycle of life and death from progressing by occupying this body. I could not be any more disconnected from this world.
'Still, I've had a lot of fun after coming here. I haven't been able to talk to normal people ever since I lost my friend Nathan back on earth…well, except for Cornelius. That bat-shit crazy old man is far from normal. But his antics have grown on me.'
Desser chuckled at the new connections he made in this strange world. The more he reminisced, the more he noticed a strange power swelling inside him.
He could feel his face burn up and sweat pour down from his neck to his lower back. He found it strange that the temperature became so hot and humid. He began to have difficulty breathing. Suddenly, he felt a pull that made him fall forward.
Desser opened his eyes to see who interrupted him. As he used his arms to get back up, he saw a beast staring right at him, and its breath created the same hot and humid feeling from just a second ago.